Bed davenport



Jan. 29, 1957 J. R. THOMAS BED DAVENPORT Filed May 29, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N V EN TOR.'

Jan. 29, 1957 J. R. THOMAS 2,779,030

BED DAVENPORT Filed May 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent BED nAvENPoRT lioseph R. Thomas, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 29, 1953, Serial No. 358,420

5 Claims. (Cl. 5-13) This invention relates to folding furniture of the seat or davenport bed type and is more particularly described as a fabric brace, support or stiifener for furniture of this kind to additionally reinforce the mid-portion `of the fabric of the furniture when in an extended or bed position to reinforce the center of the bed fabric, and to oppose sagging of the fabric under load.

In all convertible furniture of this type, it is customary to provide a link bed fabric which is held tautly in place when the bed is extended for use by helical wire springs about the margin of the fabric and attached to the metal supporting frame of the bed. It is desirable for the comfort `of the occupants of the bed that the fabric will yieldv under the weight of a person therein, but although the fabric is covered by a mattress which distributes the load upon the fabric, the fabric nevertheless sags more or less centrally of the bed frame in both dimensions thereof.

The present invention provides an additional support which is attached to one of the folding bed parts in a manner to reinforce the central portion of the-bed and thereby to materially stiften and uphold this portion of the fabric in a manner to prevent sagging and to thus support the fabric.

An important object of the invention is to provide an additional support extending transversely of a bed and adapted to materially reinforce the center of the bed to oppose sagging of the fabric in this location.

A further object of the invention is to provide a nosag attachment for a folding bed which is secured to the supporting frame parts to contact the ordinary fabric and to fold and unfold with the bed davenport parts and with respect to the fabric as the bed davenport is folded and unfolded for use.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for attaching a no-sag support to the fabric of a bed davenport in such a manner that the support is hinged relative to a portion of the fabric and folds and unfolds with the bed davenport parts.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a frame supported at` the central portion transversely of the fabric of a folding bed davenport in such a manner that the frame and the reinforcing portions are folded with the part to which they are attached and-relatively to the fabric as the bed davenport is folded and unfolded.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a no-sag spring wire which is attachable to a cross bar connecting opposite supporting legs so that the no sag wire engages the under side of the fabric when it is extended and offers an additional reinforcement for any Weight upon this portion-of thefabric.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a no-sag wire support attached to a cross bar for connecting opposite legs which folds with respect to the fabric as the legs are automatically folded in opening and clos'- ing the bed.

Other objects of the invention will appear inthe specication and will be apparent from the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation with some `of the parts in-section of a bed davenport -in extended position to which this invention is` applied.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation'of afolding bed davenport with some of the parts lin section-showing the parts Afiorrn ing this invention in folded position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view-of an additional spring carried by a cross bar for connecting two opposite legs,` the support engaging and reinforcing the central portion of the fabric'of a bed davenport.v

Fig. 4 is a perspective-view of a portion lof the support shown in Fig. 3 illustratingfthe connection of a no-sag wire to a supporting frame.

Fig. 5 is a sectionalview as taken -on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1 showing the transverse location of the Yreinforcing member; and Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation showing the position ofthe reinforcing member in the extended-and folded position of one yof the legs to which the supporting cross bar for the supporting member is attached.

Even though a bed fabric is stretched tightlyv in the frame of a bed davenport when it is extended for use as a bed; the weight of a person or persons upon the fabric causes it to sag more at the middle than elsewhere throughout the fabric;

The present invention is to providey an additional su-pport at the transverse center where the weight and the sagging effect is at the maximum, the reinforcing means tending to stitfen and uphold the fabric at this location. Even where thebed fabric does not sag materially, it is considered a ldesirable practice at this time to stifen orreinforce a bed fabric transversely and centrally for improved sleeping and restingconditions. Some fixed type mattresses are even -provided with-stiff supports `or boards to prevent sagging and to improve sleeping conditions. This practice has not heretofore been possible with a folding type of beddavenport to which the presentinvention relates.

Referring-now more particularly to the drawings; the invention may be applied toany Well known ltype of fold-I ing bed davenport, an example of which is shown in Figs. l and 2.

This-type comprises a davenport frame l() havingV a seat section 12 whichis mounted for overturningimovement on the side arms -of the frame by pivoted membersing members 18 to the plate 26 at the other end-byv a pivot 40 and to the leg 28 by a pivoted link 42. The*- outer legs 32 are folded and unfoldedby alink 44 conf nected by a pivot 46 atvone end-to the lever 36- at aA distance inwardly from the end of the'lever and by al pivot 4S connected to the upper portion of the 'leg.32.

This folding structure includes afbed fabric 50 con prising a pluralityV of cross connected links as shown in Fig. 3 which is stretchedtightly inthe bed frame by spring helical coils 52 in a well known manner. A portion of the fabric mayy comprise' parallel strips 5'4l in the seat section which are in alignment with theA link fabric 50 and together these fabric portions will support a mattress S6 as' represented inv Fig. 1.

The stiffener of this invention" comprises a no-sag spring wire SS'preferab'ly formed with opposite orl wavy convolutions adapted to forma stiff but'resilient ribbon of wire havingv ends`60 which arelen'gaged byfast`enin'g" clips 62, each en'rbracing one ofYA the end'slain'd"secured"A at opposite sides of the supporting cross rail 30 by rivets or bolts 64. This spring reinforcing wire 58 is curved upwardly from the bar at each end and has a flat intermediate portion which engages below the links ofthe fabric 50 to support them in their central longitudinal and transverse location. One side of the reinforcing wire 58 is preferably secured to corresponding links of the fabric 50 by loops or rings 66 of metal or other suitable material which fit loosely about the fabric links so that the reinforcing wire will hinge on the fabric and may be turned relatively thereto when the bed is folded and unfolded. In the unfolded or distended position of the bed, the reinforcing wire lies closely adjacent to the under side of the fabric and since the ends are restrained by the clips 62, the reinforcing wire will provide a stiff, yielding spring which materially supports the intermediate portion of the fabric.

To extend the supporting area of the reinforcing spring 58, a frame 68 of wire or other suitable material either rectangular or some other convenient shape may be applied to the central portion of the fabric 50 by loops or rings 70 and this frame may also be engaged by the reinforcing wire 58 by providing a cross bar 72 in the frame which may also be engaged by the loose rings 66 by which one side of the loops of the wire 58 are secured to the corresponding links of the fabric 50 as shown in Fig. 3.

With this construction, the reinforcing wire 58 being connected to the fabric by the links 66 will readily hinge and move relatively to the fabric when the legs 28 are folded and unfolded in the folded position of the bed, the legs 2S are moved upwardly against the bottom of the frame of the intermediate section 22 and the cross bar 30 is outside thereof, the reinforcing wire 58 being moved with the leg but still maintaining its connection through the links 66 with the fabric 50 which extends somewhat loosely in this folded position around the end of the joint between the intermediate and the seat sections.

This reinforcing structure may be applied to various types of davenport beds in which the supporting part for the reinforcing element is movable relatively to the fabric in the folding and unfolding movement of the bed. This bed davenport is only one type to which the reinforcing support is applicable.

While a preferred construction has been described in some detail, it should be regarded by way of illustration and example rather than a restriction or limitation thereof, as many changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

l. In a davenport bed having a seat section, an intermediate section and an outer section hingedly connected together and movable from a folded position with respect to the seat section to an extended position in alignment with the seat section, a mattress supporting fabric resiliently supported in the sections, opposite legs connected to the intermediate section and to the outer section, means for folding the legs against their respective sections when the sections are folded upon the seat section and for extending them into supporting positions below their sections when the sections are unfolded in front of the seat in bed position, a cross piece extending below the intermediate section and connected at its ends to the legs at the opposite sides of the section, the cross piece being located below the bed fabric in its extended position, a resilient reinforcing member comprising a no-sag Wire strip secured at its ends near the ends of the cross piece and having an intermediate portion extending upwardly and continuously in contact with the under side of the fabric to support it in the extended position and having opposite flat loops which engage the under side of the bed fabric, means comprising loosely tting metal rings for hinging one edge of the strip to the fabric so that the strip may be swung parallel with the fabric when the davenport sections are in a folded position, and a metal wire frame greater in width than the resilient no-sag wire strip extending centrally of the fabric and having a portion connected to the strip and to the fabric for transferring the resilient support of the strip to the said frame and thus covering a supported reinforced area of the fabric wider than the strip and extending both longitudinally and transversely of the fabric when the bed sections are in extended position.

2. In a davenport bed structure in accordance with claim 1, the frame being rectangular and of stiff material having hinging links securing the frame at one side of the resilient reinforcing strip to the fabric so that the strip may be turned relatively to the fabric and to the frame.

3. ln a davenport bed reinforcing structure iu accordance with claim 2, the supporting frame comprising rectangular Wire greater in width than the width of the nosag wire and having a cross piece near one end of the frame, the frame cross piece and the wavy ends of the l wire having hinging loops connecting the frame cross piece and the wire loops loosely to the said fabric so that the wire strip may be turned relatively to the fabric and to the frame when the sections and the fabric are folded.

4. In a davenport bed having a seat section, an intermediate section and an outer section hingedly connected together and movable from a folded position with respect to the seat section to an extended position in alignment with the seat section, a mattress supporting fabric resiliently supported in the sections, opposite legs connected to the intermediate section and to the outer section, means for folding the legs against their respective sections when the sections are folded upon the seat section and for extending them into supporting positions below their sections when the sections are unfolded in front of the seat in bed position, a cross piece extending below the intermediate section and connected at its ends to the legs at the opposite sides of the section, the cross piece being located below the bed'fabric in its extended position, a resilient reinforcing member comprising a resilient reinforcing strip secured at its ends near the ends of the cross piece and having an intermediate portion extending upwardly and continuously in contact with the under side of the fabric to support it in extended position, means for hinging one edge of the strip to the fabric so that the strip may be swung parallel with the fabric when the davenport sections are in a folded position, and a stiff reinforcing member greater in dimensions than the width of the resilient strip extending centrally of the fabric and having a portion connected to the strip and to the fabric for transferring the resilient support of the strip to the said member and thus covering a supported reinforced area Vof the fabric greater than the corresponding area of the strip.

5. In a davenport bed structure in accordance with claim 4, said member having at least one straight side, and hinging means securing said side of the reinforcing member at one side of the resilient reinforcing strip to the fabric so that the strip may be turned relatively to the fabric and to the member.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 571,821 Wood Nov. 24, 1896 653,022 Hasselbarth July 3, 1900 956,219 Stern Apr. 26, 1910 1,043,112 Kronheim et al Nov. 5, 1912 1,260,485 Usievich Mar. 26, 1918 1,789,094 Bell Jan. 13, 1931 1,800,496 Bell Apr. 14, 1931 2,197,735 Thomas Apr. 16, 1940 2,251,049 Haberstump July 29, 1941 

